Book-support.



PATENTED'SEPT. 18, 1906.

W. T. SHEA.

BOOK SUPPORT.

APPLICATION, IILED FEB. 26. 1900.

WILLIAM THOMAS SHEA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS BOOK-SUPPORT.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed February 26, 1906. Serial No. 302884.

To It whom it nmy concern:

- Be it known that I, WILLIAM THOMAS SHEA, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Book Supports,of

. which the following is a complete and com prehensive exposition andspecification, being such as will enable others familiar with the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same with absolute exactitude.

My present invention relates to book-sup- I ports in which my object,broadly speaking,

is to provide a construction of the class stated which will be neat andattractive in appearance, strong and durable in construction, s mple inoperation, and. which may be manufactured and sold at a very low price.

More particularly, my object is to provide a construction for holdingbooks or the like in a readily-accessible position" whereby the leavesofthe book may be turned without appreciable effort and at the'same timebeing so positioned as to bring the matter thereon into the most naturaland. easy positions of the observer and all without the necessity ofmoving or lifting the book.

From the above it will be readily apparent that my invention is intendedmore especially for large volumessuch, for instance, as books fordisplaying samples attached to its leaves, for atlases, and thelike-which are not easily handled, and especially where it is desiredthat the book remain open and in a position to readily display thematter thereon contained, and it may also be used for :holding smallerbooks with great success, and

especially books of reference.

Other objects and particular advantages of my invention will presentthemselves in the course of the ensuing specification.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is shown most clearly in theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a front elevation of my invention as supporting a book inthe desired position, the device being shown as resting on a levelsurfaceas, for instance, a table or the like. Fig. 2 shows aslightly-modified construction, whereby the invention is particularlyadapted for hanging upon a wall or the like. Fig. 3 is a centralvertical section of the invention as suspended upon a wall or the like.Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the inven- ,tion. Fig. 5 is an enlargeddetail plan of the upper face of the central aperture in the shelf, andFig 6 is a detail view showing a vertical section taken through saidcentral aperture.

1 Similar indices denote like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

In order that my invention and its applica ,tion may be fully understoodand its several "advantages be fully appreciated, I will now take up adetail description thereof and will describe the several parts and theoperation thereof as briefly and as compactly as I may.

For the purpose of making clear the a plication of my invention-I haveshown a ook in connection therewith, of which the letter A denotes theleaves, B and B the two sides, and O the back of the book.

i In the invention proper the numeral 1 de notes a shelf of rectangularshape and adapt ed in each instance to be retained practically level orslanting slightly forward, as desired. Formed through the center,longitudinally of the shelf 1 and slightly forward of one edge thereof,is the deltoid or triangular aperture 2. (Shown most clearly in Figs. 5and 6.) The angular sides of said aperture 2 diverge from the topdownward, as is indicated, thereby forming a tapering aperture,substantially as shown. The numeral 3 denotes the standard, it beingtriangular in cross-section, and its lower end portion is formedflaring, pro ducing the head portion 3 integral therewith. From theabove it will be apparent thatthe upper end of the standard may beinserted from below the shelf through said aperture 2, passing thestandard upward therethrough until the flaring portion of the standardengages with the diverging sides of the aperture 2, whereby the standardwill be prevented from passing farther, and by reason of the peculiarinclination given to the sides of said aperture 2 it will be seen thatthe standard is thereby caused to incline rearward, whereby the back ofthe upper end of the standard is caused to be on a line vertically withthe rear edge of the shelf, as is indicated in Fig. 3. In the uppercentral portion of the standard 3 is formed an aperture 3", whereby thedevice may be suspended from a nail or the like, which is denoted by theletter D in Figs. 2 and 3.

As shown in Fig. 1, the head 3 below the shelf 1 is dispensed with,whereby the bottom of the shelf may rest fiat on a table or the like, asrepresented by the line E, in which position the upper rear edge of thestandard will be directly above the rear edge of the shelf, which ofcourse gives a rearwardly inclination to the standard, which isessential to practical success of this invention.

It will now be understood that the book above referred to may be placedon the standard by allowing the standard to be inserted upward betweenthe body of the book and the back 0, as shown in Fig. .3, and allowingthe lower edges of the sides B and B to rest on the shelf 1. The bookwill then besupported as shown in Fig. 1, inclining rearward, as shownin Fig. 3, and where it will be perfectly f balanced, allowing theleaves to be turned without interfering with the shell and by reason ofthe inclination retaining the book open at the pages left, It will alsobe noticed that not only being adaptedto rest on a table or the like thedevice containing the bookmay be lifted and suspended from a nail or thelike on the wall H, passing the nail-head a through the aperture 3 andallowing the rear edge of the shelf to contact with the wall, as shownin 'Fig. 3.

Where it is intended that the device be suspended from the wall only, Ihave found it desirable to allow the .standard 3 to project throughbelow the lower face of the shelf, forming the flaring head .3, havingan aper i ture therethr-ough, in which may be placed a 4 or the like toextend .out to form a convenient place from which to suspend someaccessory articl eas, for instance, a tablet or a pencil. It will benoticed also that, if desired, the pin 4 may extend back into the wallH, as 1 shown in Fig. 3, which will prevent the dea vice from swingingside-Wise. Under certain conditions I have also found it advantageous toemploy the two arms 5 and 6 for the sides B and B, respectively, to restagainst, as in dicated Fig. 2. Said arms are simply strips having eachan aperture in their upper J ends to engage over the nail D or the like,i crossing each other in the rear of the upper 1 end of the standard 3and their lower portions resting loosely in the open slots, which slotsextend inward from the ends and are l=o- \cated near the rear edge ofthe shelf 1, as, shown in Fig. 4. Said arms 5 and 6 should extend belowthe shel'lxl and may have the pins 7 and 8, respectively, extending out3 therefrom for 'the same purposes as the said pm 4.

From the above description and showing it is most notably apparent that'I have accomplished the objects of my invention, and the device may beemployed in a number of ways, as a particular instance of which I mightmention that the book may contain samples of cloth secured on its pages,as usually employed by merchant-tailors. Heretofore it has beencustomary for such books to lay flat .and closed when not in use,thereby occupying an unnecessary amount of space and be ing difiicult tohandle .anddisplay; but by the employment of my invention it is appanentthat the book will occupy a of space either on .a table or whensuspended on a wall, and in either instance it may be left open fordisplaying the samples to the best advantage, and one has only to turnthe leaves without otherwise handling the book.

What I claim, anddesire to secure Letters Patent lot the United' States,is

A book-support comprising'ashelt having a central aperture and astandard adapted I to pass between the body-andback of a hook,

the standard being remoyably secured in inclined position in theapertnrein the shell, its upper end being the vertical plane of the rear edge ofthe shell and having a porteration, as and for purposes settorth.

2. A. book-snpport comprising a shelf haw ring a central aperture andslotted at eachend, :a standard adapted topass between thebody and backof a book, the standard being re movably secured in an inclined positionin the aperture in the shelf, itsupper end being in the vertical planeoil. the rear edge or" the shelf and having a perforation, and armsengagement near their lower ends with the slots the shell andperitoratcd and crossed at their upper ends, the pertonations in thearms hegistering with the perforation in the standard, snhstantially asdescribed and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed specification the presenceof two subscribing witnesses,

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. Hosrnn, LILLIE B, NORMAN,

